Who has formally visited a university? How many universities have you visited? How many visited the admissions office? When did you visit?

How many colleges do I visit? Before you think about visiting all the colleges you want, focus on how important each is to you. Pick 9 colleges to apply to: 3 Safety, 3 Probable, 3 Reach You don’t have to visit all of them, but definitely visit the 3 reach if you can (at least the top choice) because those are the most competitive and the ones you’ll want to spend the most time on. You MUST go in with a SET Game Plan

August – the decisions, outline, & plans You won’t have time when school starts to figure this out properly! September – the visits You can visit during the summer sure, but it’s not comparable to visiting in the school year when all the students are there. It’s far more indicative of what the college campus is like and is easy on you because you can take a few days off of school since it’s not even in full swing at that point. As long as you plan for your missed classes and activities beforehand. October – the follow-up Finish visiting and follow-up with the connections you made at the college with any remaining questions. You should be finishing the apps, especially if Early Action. November – the finish Aim to have everything done no later than the end of this month. You can always visit more after you’re accepted!

Do the obvious visiting, BUT know that there is so much more below the surface  The classes, the labs, tours, the dining halls, the dorms, etc. are all great, so try to see them, but don’t get caught up in trivial things.  A lot of college tour guides try to just present the good stuff (university tourism is one of those great business schemes).  Only students and alumni will tell you what the university is really like, such as its weaknesses, things that actually matter to you. The PEOPLE are what matter! Come READY with intelligent questions. YOU Initiate interesting conversation. Ask about THEIR experiences - people love talking about themselves.

The PEOPLE are what matter!  Find freshmen undergrads in your major and talk with THEM as much as possible – this is why you need to be a good and active conversationalist (someone who seeks help instead of expecting it to come to them)  Don’t ask questions like “what SAT do I need?” or “when’s the app deadline?” or anything you can obviously research yourself. Come READY with intelligent questions. YOU Initiate interesting conversation. Ask about THEIR experiences - people love talking about themselves.

Being early matters AGAIN! Everyone – students and admin – all get extremely busy after September. Meeting with admissions Don’t ask for an interview, they won’t give it to you. Explain how far you’ve come, how you don’t want to leave until you’ve heard the view of the university from admissions, and effectively demand even 15 minutes with an officer to talk them about the school, not about you because that’s what the interview is for. This will help you understand what admission are looking for. Again we’re dealing with people, not robots. They have a schedule. Capitalize on it. Upper colleges’ admissions officers tour the country for the first few months (Aug, Sept, Oct) trying to get high school students to apply. By mid-October, they will be back getting ready to read applications. So maximize the chance having an admissions officer read your application early (with more attention) by getting it in and visiting before the deadline. You have nothing to lose by being early and only so much to gain.

Have them memorized before you visit! Don’t even bother visiting if you don’t have these questions ready to go at any time.  What makes this university stand out?  What do you think is looking for in new students?  How would you describe the students in a few words?  What are the “big events” on campus? Something all the students take a part in?  How do students in find the faculty and the way the department is structured? Do they enjoy it? Are they frustrated a lot?  How sociable and competitive is the environment?  Where do most students go after graduating (in )? Industry? Academia? Grad School? Abroad? There’s a ton more you can think of or find online. Just prepare them!

The MSA is a candid and valuable resource for information particular to Muslim life at the college, which you may find having a greater impression on you than expected. They can help you see why all the senseless partying, drinking, and general vice in college is all a waste of time and give you a productive outlet to have fun. You will no doubt find someone to help take care of you during your visit and when you are an incoming freshmen.